One of Britain's rarest birds had a pang of guilt after killing off his
younger rival and fostered his chicks so they could survive on the rugged
Cornwall coast, it is believed.

In a tragic chain of events a male chough – an endangered species – scared off his rival in the battle over territory.

When the younger bird vanished his partner, who had been incubating their eggs, “pined to death”, it is feared, leaving their hatching young to fend for themselves.

The victorious lone male, perhaps feeling a pang of guilt, took on the role of foster father and single-handedly reared the chicks, feeding them grubs and teaching them how to fly.

He took care of them in the clifftop nest for three weeks till they were big and strong enough to fend for themselves. It is believe that it is the first time behaviour of this kind has been recorded in the species.

As a result they are likely to survive into adulthood after taking to the wing for the first time on Thursday.

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Although he has been dubbed a “champion chough” by bird watchers, expert believe he may have been the villain of the piece originally and contributed to the death of one or both parent birds.

Claire Mucklow, from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said "The male of the pair had got into fights over territory with this neighbouring, younger male.

"The female was already sitting on chicks in the nest when her partner disappeared. For a while she teamed up with this lone male lone bird but then she also vanished. As it is unknown for adult birds to leave chicks, experts are assuming she has died.

"We don't know what has happened to her but she may have pined to death following the demise of her original partner as they'd spent 14 years together, rarely more than a few metres apart."

The drama unfolded on cliffs around the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall, where the choughs - which look like small crows but with red legs – re-established themselves in 2001 after a lengthy absence.

Once common across Britain, they are now extinct in most places, but they like The Lizard where the exposed coastal grass is grazed and the insects are plentiful.

A small population now breeds there. Birds in the colony are identified by coloured leg rings and monitors know that the foster father has previously raised a family of his own.

"We are not sure this behaviour has ever been recorded in choughs before. We are absolutely delighted. It could have been a whole lot sadder if the chicks had died as well as their parents," Ms Mucklow added.